EMU mourns tragic death of incoming student

The EMU community was deeply saddened by the sudden death of incoming student Doyeon Ki on Wednesday, January 1, in a tragic accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends in South Korea and here in the United States. The story was reported by local media outlets as the broader community shared in this loss.

The pedestrian who was struck and killed late Wednesday night on Va. 42 was hit by “multiple vehicles,” including an ambulance, police say.

The victim, Doyeon Ki, was a 21-year-old woman from South Korea set to enroll in Eastern Mennonite University’s Intensive English Program next week.

She died at Sentara RMH Medical Center after being transported there from the scene, just north of the Harrisonburg city line, according to a Thursday afternoon press release from Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller.

In an earlier phone interview, Sgt. F.L. Tyler of the state police had said the woman died at the scene.

Ki was standing in the right lane of northbound traffic near Hamlet Drive, just north of Harmony Square shopping center in the city, at about 10 p.m. Wednesday when she was struck by more than one vehicle, Tyler said.

The press release only identifies a 1999 Jeep Cherokee as striking Ki. It was not immediately known how many times she was struck or who was operating the Jeep.

Police say the rescue squad involved was from Broadway and returning to its station. The other vehicles were passenger cars, Tyler said.

The crash, which shut down both lanes of northbound traffic, was still under investigation by Trooper B.W. Coleman on Thursday afternoon. No charges have been filed.

Ki was expected to register for the English program at EMU on Monday with the intention of then pursuing a degree at the school, spokeswoman Andrea Wenger said.

She arrived in the United States in late December and was using the Western name “Rachel,” Wenger added.